HCA: Hermit Crab Association

quote:Can PPs eat Elodea? I looked around the web and couldn't find any mention specifically saying hermit crabs eat it. There are other names for it I didn't check.Elodea normally grows in fresh water ponds and our crabs live near salt water so they wouldn't encounter each other in nature I suppose...

I have a single crab that is demonstrating an interesting behavior.She is collecting certain objects into a specific spot. To me it seems like she is collecting "meaningful" objects (sentimental/useful) into a "meaningful" spot (A personal space).Over the years, the "spot" has been in various places...

"You do mean this shell right?"Wikipedia says that's it.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cittarium_picaThat's a great price. Hopefully customer service will allow choosing size increments. Oh wait, they don't have a whole range, just 2.75" to 3.5" so this is a partial solution. But its progress. I didn'...

I've read that the Carribean hermit crab evolved to fit into a shell called the Cittarium Pica (I'll edit this if I can find the link again).I found it difficult to find these shells (AKA magpie, Indian topshell)and discovered they had been nearly extirpated from Bermuda and Florida, where the crabs...

quote:Originally posted by LAURIE:Keg: are you assuming that I totally ignore my crabs? Oops. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like that. Please excuse?

quote:It's interesting to know that if you cannot see their antenna they are asleep. Watching my little Tarzan seem to stare into space for hours is odd, so it's good to know he is probably asleep! Everything I said is conjecture. He might actually be sheltering his lidless eyes or reacting to an un...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by CrabbieMama:So true. they will use their antenna to smack your hand too of they are annoyed at you. For example, I had to mite dip a bigger PP recently. And now I know what a fully puffed up MAD crab looks like lol. QUOTE]This is difficult for me to assimilate into my rea...

quote:Originally posted by dylan644:I noticed when one of my bigger two switched shells, she would flip the antennaes back and wipe them down the shell. So if I undertand this right, the feeler antenae can1) Wiggle straight forward to sense distance (to compensate for lack of compund eye's distance ...

Crabby Abby?On the sniffing: I'm not 100% sure on this, but if I recall from the "Arthropods" writeup in wikipedia, the land/hermit crab doesn't breath(?) It has modified gills that passively absorb moisture from the air and extract oxygen as it evaporates(?) This is interesting because unlike anima...

Laurie? Fascinating subject. This is my take on what you just said. Most animals would be better off if untainted by human interaction. But the reality of keeping a pet is that their consciousness is profoundly affected by socialization with humans. Much as I would like them to be natural, it is unn...

Wikipedia tells me that the long set of antenae on my crab are used for sense of touch. This is helpful because the crab's compound eyes don't allow depth perception. But the antenae also communicate. Obviously if you can't see them, the crab is asleep. If they are wiggling, the crab is interested i...